Overcoming Your Fears
by kandykane33
Summary: its basically about overcoming what youre scared of
1. Chapter 1

He sat on the beach staring out at the water. It's almost been a year since he's been in the water doing what he loved: surfing. Why hasn't he been in the water?

He sat on his board looking behind him for a wave to ride. His friends already found a descent wave to ride and were waiting for him to find one. As he waited, he could hear his friends calling to him to hurry up and stop being so picky. He peered back and saw the perfect wave. He smiled and began to paddle until he met the wave. She he moved to do a trick, his foot slipped causing him to fly off his board and into the water.

His friends all tried to swim and find him. They found his board but not his body. One called for help and a search began for his body. As soon as help arrived, a friend found his body and began to pull him towards the shore. Paramedics and his aunt were running up to them. The paramedics took him and tried to save him.

As everyone looked at him, they could see a bone in his leg out of place and a cut on his forehead. He awoke in the hospital with his family around him not remembering, at first, what had happened.

He breathed in the scent of the ocean. Boy did he miss it. He still wasn't over what had happened a year ago.

An upside about a year ago, he met an amazing girl. She was always there for him when he needed her. She treated him like he meant something. She was simply amazing. He remembered waking up one day in the hospital and she was there. It made him so happy to actually have someone outside of the family that cared about him. She made him feel so happy that he asked her out.

He walked into his apartment closing the door behind him and set his keys down on a table. He could hear her in their room and walked over to the door. There he stood and watched her put makeup on.

"You don't need it." he said making her look at him through the mirror.

She smiled. "Hey babe. Have a nice walk?"

"It was okay," he told her.

She continued to put on her makeup before he walked into the room. He stood behind her when she finished, and turned her around. He planted a kiss on her lips before wrapping his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm with you, baby. How can I not be?" he asked before kissing her again.

"I'm not sure," she told him wrapping her arms around his neck; "I missed you this morning."

"I'm sorry. Walks seem to wake me up."

"That's understandable," she said.

He let her go and watched her put her makeup away. He could stare at her all day and not get sick of her. She was so beautiful. She didn't care what others thought of her. She would stick up for anyone who was being put down.

She made him complete.


	2. Chapter 2

The young couple walked along the streets of town trying to find something to do. They held hands and just kept smiling to themselves just thinking of how happy the other has made them. Bradin pulled Kali into his side and kept his arm around her waist. He kissed the side of her head making her smile which made him smile.

As they walked passed the beach, Bradin stopped and looked out at the ocean where others were surfing, swimming, jet skiing, and boating. He sighed and just walked away.

"Brae," Kali said stopping him from walking by grabbing his hand, "Talk to me, baby."

"You have no idea how hard it is to want to do something and hold back because of something that has happened to you in the past."

Kali then realized what was on his mind. She couldn't stand to see him go through all of that pain again. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. He looked into her eyes.

"When you're ready, tell me. I'll be there for you."

He nodded and kissed her. It hurt Kali so much that she couldn't help him. She tried to push him many times before. However, they always ended up in an argument and didn't talk to each other within three or so days. She learned that she shouldn't push him. All she had to do was be there for him when he was ready to try surfing again.

They approached his family's house and rang the doorbell. Within a few seconds, the door opened revealing Bradin's aunt.

"Bradin!" she yelled throwing her arms around him. Then, she noticed Kali. "Hey Kali," she said hugging her as well.

Bradin walked into the house and found his siblings watching television. As Kali went to move, Ava stopped her.

"How has he been?" she asked her nephew's girlfriend.

Kali shook her head. "I don't know how to deal with this anymore. I feel worthless because I can't help him get through this."

"Sweetie, if you need help, please ask. Come to me. I hate to see you go through this alone."

Kali nodded and sighed. Ava hugged the teenager tightly and kissed her cheek. When they pulled away, Kali half smiled at Ava.

"Why did you guys drop by?" Derrick, Bradin's brother, asked.

"We thought it would be nice to see how everyone here was doing," Bradin told his brother.

Bradin looked up and saw Ava and Kali looking at them in the living room. Kali looked as if she were upset about something. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked walking up to her.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"Baby, don't lie to me," he said. "Talk to me. I'm begging you."

"Do you surf yet, Bradin?" Nikki, his sister, asked.

Bradin turned around and glared at his sister. "You think I'd be surfing?" he asked her. "Would you continue surfing after you almost died?"

"Bradin," Kali said, "Let's just go."

"No. Answer me, Nikki," he demanded. Nikki was becoming scared. She never saw her brother like this ever. "Answer me!"

His aunt pulled him away from his sister and outside.

"What has gotten into you?" she asked.

"How could you all think that I would surf after my accident?"

"Because you never hold back from anything that has hurt you," she told him, "You have all of us worried. Kali is worried more than anyone here and she doesn't know you like we do."

"Kali? My Kali?" he asked pointing to himself.

"Yes, your Kali, the one in there who has no idea what to do. She's scared Bradin." Bradin looked back inside at his girlfriend and siblings. Kali was talking to Nikki about what he had just did. "How many times have you told people not to be scared? How many times have you told people not to hold back from doing something you need to do? Take your own advice, sweetie."

Bradin walked inside behind his aunt and stopped when Nikki moved to leave.

"Nikki, wait," he said making her stop, "I'm sorry."

"How can you talk to me like that?" she asked as if she were not his sister but his mother, "We're all scared, Brae. We want the old you back from before the accident happened."

Bradin looked around at his family and girlfriend who were all scared, especially Kali. He knew the life she was living before they met. He felt as if he were making it worse for her. He couldn't do that to someone like her. She was too special to hurt like that.

"Maybe we should go," Bradin told his girlfriend who nodded in agreement.

The young couple said farewell to his family before heading off to who knows where. Bradin just wanted to leave the house before he caused anyone else anymore pain. As they walked, they were silent.

"Baby, I'm sorry," he told her softly breaking the silence.

"It's okay. Do you now know how we all feel? No, we're not trying to push you. We just care about you a lot. We can't stand seeing you go through this and not doing something that you love."

"I just don't see how people can think that I would surf again after I nearly died," he said as he sat on a bench.

Kali sat beside him and wrapped an arm around him. "You're strong, Brae. That's why we all thought it wouldn't take you this long to go out there and try again. As long as we've known you, everyone but me, you've been strong. Nothing held you back from doing something that you've wanted to do. Death couldn't even hold you back. Now it is? All I want you to do is take your time on getting back up. The others want you back as yourself a soon as possible.

Bradin sat there, his mind digesting everything that his girlfriend has just told him. He knew in his heart that she was right.

"I'll try soon. I don't know how soon. But, I'll at least try to stay in the water. I won't surf or anything. I'll just stand in the water."

"Not a problem."


	3. Chapter 3

_a/n: i know i'm updating quickly lately but with 'here for you' i'm trying to get that one over with, and for this one, i just have ideas pouring out of my mind. sorry you may not get to read all chapter but at least i'm updating, right?_

He stood on the beach looking at the water. He breathed in the scent of the ocean as the breeze blew by his face. He sighed and slipped his sandals off. He moved forward placing one foot into the water followed by the other foot. He felt the water run up over his ankles. It was cold. He closed his eyes.

He tried to scramble against the current towards the surface. It was no use. It was too strong. He was pulled hard and his head hit something hard.

Bradin quickly opened his eyes and looked around. He ran out, grabbed his shoes, and ran back to his apartment. Kali, who was sitting on their couch at the time, stood up quickly as he slammed the door.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Tears flowed down his face as his accident appeared over and over again in his mind. He dropped his sandals and ran his hands through his hair. Kali got up and took his hands.

"Baby," she said, "Baby, talk to me. What's going on?"

"I'm so sorry baby," he sobbed, "I tried. I tried but I'm not ready just yet."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

He lowered his head as he cried. She went to look at him but his feet covered in sand caught her eye. She looked back at him.

"Bradin," she said softly.

"Can you hold me?" he asked.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly feeling him cry harder. As she held him, she heard him say, "I never want you to let go."

She moved away but kept her arms around him. She looked at him as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"Don't be," she said shaking her head. She moved her hands up to his cheeks and wiped his tears away. As he felt her hands on his cheeks, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, he watched as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Do me a favor?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Can you calm down just a tad?" she asked. She watched as he took a deep breath with his eyes closed. She smiled. "There we go," she said, "Now, I have to go to work."

"What? Now?" he whined.

"Babe, if you need me, call me or drop by the store. You know I'll be able to talk. We're slow this day of the week."

"I'll walk you."

She nodded. As grabbed her purse, slipped her shoes on and they left. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to his body. She smiled as she wrapped her arm around him as well. When they arrived at the store where she worked, he stopped her.

"I love you," he told her.

She was shocked. No one in her entire life has ever told her they love her. She didn't even think Bradin did. And, he just proved her wrong. She leaned up and kissed him and felt a smile form on his face. He picked her up and spun her around as they kissed. When he put her down, she pulled away.

"I love you, too, babe," she whispered.

He smiled and kissed her quickly and let her go to work.

That night, Kali got home after a long, boring day at work. She walked inside and found Bradin asleep on the couch. She smiled at how cute he looked. She set her things down, walked over to the couch, and knelt in front of him.

"Brae," she whispered softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. He groaned and opened his eyes.

"Hey, beautiful," he said with a smile.

"Hey. I just wanted you to know I got home safely."

He made room on the couch for her to lie down on.

"I'm going to go change first," she told him. He nodded and watched his girlfriend walk off to their room. He could not believe that she actually woke him up to tell him that she was home. She never use to do that unless he was worried about her. As he waited for her, he got up and headed into their kitchen area. There, he yelled, "Hey baby. Did you eat?"

"No," he heard.

He went in to the cupboards and pulled out some boxes. He set them on the countertop and looked for some bowls.

"What are you doing?" Kali asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Bradin looked up and saw his girlfriend wearing pink and brown camouflage pants and a pink tank top.

"I'm making you dinner."

"It's eleven at night," she said looking at their clock.

"But, you didn't eat dinner. And, not eating is bad for you," he told her.

"I had something small on my break. It's not the size of a dinner. But, I did eat something."

"Popcorn and a movie?" he asked.

"I thought you were tired."

"I just spent how many hours without you?" he asked. "Baby, you have no idea how much I need to spend time with you right now. I mean…"

After he stopped talking, she became worried. "Bradin, what's going on?" she asked.

He sighed not wanting to tell her what happened after she went to work. However, he knew he had to.

"Bradin, talk to me," she said.

"I came back here after walking you to work. I got here and decided to watch some television. As I was flicking through the channels, the weather caught my eye. They were talking about the water and how amazing it was to surf on. As I heard that, all that came to my mind was surfing. I wanted to do it so bad. I was going to, too. But, then my accident came to me. Just picturing what had happened kills me whenever it comes to me. I can't take this, Kali. I just can't take this anymore."

Kali ran to her boyfriend's side as he broke down and thought about his accident. She couldn't stand watching him suffer.

"I'm sorry. I can't go out there. I don't know if I'll ever be able to," he cried to her.

"Sweetie, don't worry about it. You tried earlier. That's all I wanted you to do. Please, calm down."

He looked over at her as her hand touched his back. He looked away and wiped his eyes. Then, he looked back at her and smiled making her smile. He put the food away, took her hand and led her to their room. There, he laid down and pulled her next to him so she was in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: sorry I haven't updated in a while. There was a big snow storm where I live and power went out all over the town. I jut got my power back yesterday after Thursday night it went out. Well, here you go. Oh, and don't kill me. _

Morning arrived. Bradin awoke to sun shining brightly in his eyes. He groaned and stretched a bit before rolling over to find Kali still asleep. He smiled and kissed her. She whined and moved her body so her back was facing him. All he could do was laugh at her. She was so cute when she was disturbed from her sleep for no reason.

"Baby, wake up," he whispered in her ear.

"No," she whined making him laugh again.

"Baby, come on. Get up."

She moved her head again so that she was facing him. He smiled and moved her hair out of her face.

"Morning, beautiful," he said before kissing her.

"I could so hurt you if I had the energy right now," she told him.

"You won't do it even if you had energy," he told her.

"Oh, I would," she said.

"Come on," he said, "I'll make breakfast."

"Let me sleep," she whined.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Five more minutes and that's all," he told her.

"Fine," she said.

She buried her face in her pillow as he got out of bed. All she wanted to do was sleep. He kept her up most of the night just wanting to talk to her about anything. It seemed as if he wanted her up all night for no particular reason. Yet, she knew that he needed it after what he did the previous day. Lately, she has felt guilty about being angry with him. But, she never yelled at him unless he yelled at her. She would feel guilty if she yelled at him when he needed her most of the time.

She got out of bed and stretched before heading out to where Bradin was. As she walked out of the room, she looked for Bradin in the kitchen and didn't see him. As she went to investigate, someone picked her up from behind and spun her around.

"Bradin! Put me down!" she laughed.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked before kissing her neck.

"Please," she whined, "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"Will you kiss me until we died?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Would you?"

"Why not?"

He smiled and placed her on her feet. He turned her around and planted a kiss on her lips.

The day came and went. Both of them had to work at their jobs. Kali made it home first and began to make dinner. Just as she went to take it out of the oven, she heard Bradin come in making her smile. She placed the pot down and went to greet him. When she saw him, her smile fell.

"Bradin?" she asked.

He looked up at her with a sorry look on his face.

"Bradin, what's wrong?" she asked walking up to him.

"Baby, I lost my job."

"What?"

"Jay and I got into a huge fight. I quit and walked out."

Kali watched as Bradin sat on the couch in disappointment. She knew that he was thinking that he let her down or something along those lines. She sat beside him and held him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered making her pull away and look at him, "This isn't the Bradin that asked you out last year. This isn't the Bradin I promised you."

"Baby, stop," she said.

"Do you have any idea on how I am feeling?" he yelled.

"Not exactly!" she yelled back, "But you know what I went through with my father!"

"Shut up about your father!" he yelled standing up, "This is about me not him!"

"NO!" she shouted, "What your feeling is similar to what I felt when he went and did what he did! Every goddamn day that goes by, I wish I could have stopped him and been there for him the way I am trying to be there for you!"

"Is that why you are always there? You don't want me ending up like your father? You think I'm like him?"

"Fuck it," she said, "You obviously are too blind to see what I'm getting at."

Kali stood up and walked into their kitchen area. Bradin could hear her trying to do something. Then, a crash sounded. He ran to the area and found her leaning on counter with her back facing him.

"Kali," he said softly.

"Don't," she said when he touched her back, "Just don't."

"Baby, I'm sorry."

"I can't handle this, Bradin. I thought I'd be able to but I can't."

"What are you saying?" he asked. "Kali don't leave me. I need you."

She turned towards him with tears down her face.

"Kali stop,'' he told her, "I'll change."

"You said that many times before!" she yelled, "You also said that you knew how everyone felt about you and your accident. But, you don't know how we feel. All you care about is yourself."

"Kali," he said placing his hands on her arms, "Stop. Please."

"I can't take this anymore, Brae. I can't do this. I'm going to be gone by tomorrow whether you want it done or not."


	5. Chapter 5

"Where will you be staying?" he asked as he watched her pack up her things.

"I'll find a place."

"Kali, please stay," he said softly.

"Why?" she asked turning towards him. "So I can go through this again?"

"I'm sorry. But, I can't do what you want me to do. I don't know if I'll ever be ready to do it."

"I know that!" she screamed. "I'm not forcing you to do anything. All I ever tried to do was be there for you when you needed me. I thought I was trying to be a good girlfriend by doing that. According to you, I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"I've never said that," he told her.

"You don't have to say it. You showed it earlier."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry?"

"Sorry is not going to cut it this time," she told him, "After this, it's over…for good."

"How could you leave me when I need you most right now?" he shouted.

"You need me?" she shouted back. "Why would you need me? Every time I try to help you, hell if anyone tries to help you when you need them, you push them away and make them feel like shit because they can't help you!"

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. That's exactly what you do," she told him calmly, "No one else would tell you. I figured that since we're no longer a part of each other's lives, you will know so that when the next person who comes along to help you will hopefully get to you like I've been trying to for a year."

"Next person?" he asked. "When have I met someone new after I met you? I've changed, Kali. I don't go around meeting new people anymore after something serious has happened."

"You don't know that. And I'm not a serious thing you've dealt with. I was just someone who you thought could make you happy and not like you for who you are after your accident. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I guess I'm not lucky enough."

"You are, beautiful. You are. You're just throwing your chance away."

"I had my chance, Bradin. I'm not lucky enough to have you."

Bradin watched as Kali picked up her suitcases and walked out of the room. He sighed and followed her out to her car. He helped her place her suitcases in her trunk. He looked at her as she walked to the driver's side of her car. All he could do was watch her drive off. If he chased her, he knew it wouldn't matter. She would never come back to him.

He sat in his room that night sobbing his eyes out. He was destroying his life minute by minute. He got into an accident with surfing. He fought with all of his friend and family. He lost the love of his life because of his stupidity. _How am I going to handle this alone?_ he thought to himself.

Kali drove around the entire night not knowing where to stay. All she had on her mind was how much she hurt not only Bradin but herself as well when she ended it earlier that day with him. At one point while she was driving, she found herself crying so hard that she nearly drove off of the road. Thank the Lord she came back to reality just in the knick of time to not drive off of the road.

She finally arrived to her mother's house scared to even talk to her mother. However, she knew that she had to. When she arrived in front of the door, she rang the doorbell.

"Kali!" her younger step-brother yelled when he answered the door. He jumped up in to her arms and hugged her. All she could do was hug him back and never let go. He meant a lot to her. He was the only one in her family who cared. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to talk to my mother. Is she home?"

"Yeah." He jumped out of her arms and took her hand. He led her to her mother who was with Landon's, her step-brother, father.

"Kali!" her mother yelled, "What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk to you privately?" she asked a little uneasy about talking in front of her step-father who hated her.

"Sure. Come on, sweetie." Kali followed her mother in to the backyard where her mother sat in one of the chairs on the patio. "What's on your mind?"

"I know I shouldn't be doing this," she said out loud, "But, Bradin and I are…over. I need a place to stay until I find a place of my own."

"You want to stay here?" her mother asked.

"Only if it's okay with you," Kali said, "I have nowhere else to go. I'm already looking for another place. As soon as I look at it in person, I'll be gone."

"How long do you plan on staying just so I know?" her mother asked.

"Hopefully no longer than a week," Kali responded.

"I'd love for you to stay. You are still working though, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you care to talk about what happened between you and Bradin? Everyone thought for sure that you two would be together forever."

"No. not right now," Kali said standing up.

"Go get your bags. I'll fix the spare room up for you."


	6. Chapter 6

The following day, Bradin opened his eyes and met the sun shining in through the window. He hoped that the previous night was a dream. He turned around and found the bed empty beside him. He sighed and could feel more tears coming.

He cried most of the night not knowing what he was going to do. Since he lost Kali, he's been unhappy and alone. He never felt like this after the relationship with other girls ended. Kali must be the one that he needs in order to live his life to the fullest.

Bradin got up and showered. Once he was done, he got ready for the day, which included changing his clothes, brushing his teeth, and combing his hair. He grabbed his car keys along with his wallet and ran out to his car.

"Wake up!" Landon yelled jumping on her bed.

"Stop," she whined.

"Wake up!" he yelled once again.

"Bradin stop!" she screamed as she shot up from her bed.

"I'm not Bradin. I'm Landon," he said. Kali could not believe that she just yelled out Bradin's name.

"Landon, just leave me alone," she said as she lied back down.

"Gretchen wants you up," he said.

Landon grabbed Kali's hand and pulled on it until she was up and out of bed. Now, she knew why she did not want to come home unless it was her last resort. Landon dragged her all the way down to the bottom of the stairs where he let go.

"Bradin!" he yelled running up to him and hugging him.

Kali stood in shock that he was there. She watched as he looked at her after placing Landon down.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about," she told him.

"Tell him you called me, Bradin," Landon told her.

"Will you leave?" she yelled to her step-brother. Landon ran off to the kitchen yelling for his father.

"Did you really?" he asked.

"I'm not use to being around him like this," she lied not knowing what to tell him, "I'm use to waking up with you beside me or forcing me up."

"Please come back," he begged, "I was up all night worrying and thinking about you. I was dreaming about you, baby. I was dreaming that we were together and living a happy life. Yes, we had a few fights. But, we ended up back together. Just like this past year we were together, we fought and got back together. The fights were always about me. Why is it different this time?"

"Why?" she asked. "Think about it, Bradin. What happened between us this time? It's because you treat me like I'm worthless and shouldn't be caring about you the way I am…was. I can't deal with the fact that all of these people care about you and you're too blind to see it."

"Why did you end it though?"

"Because you weren't listening to anything I was telling you! You're not listening to me now!"

"Kali, stop!" he yelled, "I can't stand you when you're like this!"

"That's why it's over!"

Bradin grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. He smashed his lips against hers and kissed her. He felt her try to fight him back but easily she gave in. She loved it when he kissed her like that and began to kiss him back. A few minutes passed before he pulled away. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Please come back," he whispered wiping her tears away. "I don't know how much longer I can stay away from you like this."

Landon came running back out, grabbed Bradin's hand, and literally dragged him away from Kali and to their backyard where he wanted Bradin to play with him. Landon loved Bradin like his own brother. That thought stayed with Kali as she sat on her stairs thinking.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" her mother asked sitting beside her.

"Everything," she responded, "I don't know what to do."

"You still love him, don't you?"

Kali remained silent. She did love Bradin more than anything. She just did NOT want to be treated the way he's treated her again. Kali sighed and let tears fall from her face as she got up and went to her room to change.

Bradin finally got away from Landon and went to go find Kali. He found her coming down the stairs wearing shorts and a light pink tank top with her makeup matching.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Don't start."

"Have you thought about it?"

"You have no idea the positions you've put me through this past year. I feel as if I…I don't know. I've gone back to you many times. Why is this one different?"

"Because you love me?" he asked. "You even said you did the other night."

"That was before you kept me up deep into the night just wanting to talk about YOU," she said emphasizing the word 'you', "You are all that you care about."

"You love him," her step-father said walking up to them. Kali backed away and shook her head. "I know you and I cannot stand each other," he continued, "But, I know you better than you think. You and he are perfect for each other. Why end it if you care so much about him and he cares about you? He obviously does care about you. If he didn't, he wouldn't be here trying to get you back and rescuing you from one of the worst decisions you will ever make in your lifetime."

"The biggest mistake I've ever made was even talking to either of you." She looked over at Bradin. "I'm sorry, Bradin. I can't. I love you. Yes, I love you. But, I can't go back and get hurt like this again."


	7. Chapter 7

Following day:

Bradin sat in his apartment not believing that he and Kali were actually over…for good. He never thought that it would come down to the moment where they were ending everything and had no way back. It was killing him to spend his time without her. It hurt him more than not being able to surf due to what he went through the previous year.

"Bradin!" someone yelled pounding on his door.

He got up and opened it to find his friend, Lucas, there. "What's up man? You okay?"

Bradin shook his head. "Um, Kali and I are no longer."

"Brae, I'm so sorry man. Anything I can do?"

"Not right now. I just wish I wasn't so stupid. I need her, Luke. She's…my everything. Without her, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Come with me," he said, "I can cheer you up."

Bradin followed Lucas out of the apartment building and towards the beach. There, Bradin was taken a hold by all of his friends and taken towards the water.

"Put me down!" he hollered trying to fight against them.

"This is for your own good!" his friends shouted.

In the water near the deep end, they dropped him in and ran out. Lucas stood ashore watching his best friend try to get back to shore.

"Lucas," a female voice sounded. He turned around to find Kali walking up to him. "Have you seen Bradin?"

He pointed out towards the water.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she screamed.

"We're trying to help him, Kali!" Lucas shouted, "He needs this!"

"What he needs is to do it on his own!" Kali ran towards the water just as Bradin was walking out drenched. Kali got to his side. "Brae," she said.

He looked up at her. She didn't really know if he was crying due to his face being wet from the water. Then, she looked into his eyes and saw that he was indeed crying.

"Come on," she said placing her arm around his waist. Once they were actually out of the water, Bradin fell to the sand and knelt on his knees. He felt Kali kneel next to him and place her hand on his back. All he could do was cry his eyes out. He could hear others walk up to them. Then, he heard Kali.

"How the hell could you do this to him?!" she asked.

"I told you before that he needed this!" Lucas shouted, "It was for his own good!"

"Apparently you know shit about him!" Kali yelled, "He doesn't need anyone's help! What he needs is someone to be there for him when he IS ready!"

"It's been a year!" Bradin's friend, Matt, yelled to her, "He should be ready by now!"

Bradin got up and lunged towards Matt. Matt lunged towards Bradin once Bradin's fist met his nose. Kali tried to drag Bradin away from Matt so he wouldn't make another mistake. However, he was too strong for her.

"Bradin, stop!" she yelled as she tried to push him away. He backed away and looked down at her. "He's not worth it," she told him quietly.

Bradin glared at his so called 'friends' before grabbing Kali's hand and walking away from them.

"Babe, calm down," she said as she held him while they sat on a bench.

"The last thing I remember was my head hitting a rock," he told her, "The water just pulled me down as if I were a weakling of some sort."

He pulled away from her and looked in to her eyes. "Why did you come and help me?"

"I actually have been looking for you for the past 24 hours. I was hoping we could talk some things out. I figured maybe you would be on the beach at this time of day. I found Lucas and he told me where you were. I knew you weren't ready, Hun."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"To see if you would take me back after everything I-"

"Yes," he said quickly before she could finish. "What made you change your mind?"

"The thought of losing you completely," she told him, "I know I said it's over for good. But, I can't imagine losing you in anyway shape or form. I guess the dream I had last night made me realize that I love you more than I thought."

"Even after the way I treated you?"

"Yeah. You just did it because you had to."

"That's not a good reason to treat someone like you the way I did," he told her, "I thought about it and I can't treat you like that anymore. I won't treat you like that anymore…unless you deserve it, which I doubt will ever happen."

She smiled and moved a wet piece of hair out of his face. He leaned and kissed her deeply feeling her warm lips against his cold lips.

"Let's get you back and warmed up," she said when she pulled away.

"Are you moving back in?" he asked hoping for a yes.

"Do you want me to?"

He kissed her again. This time, his cold hand touched her skin.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He smiled. "Go and get your things. I'll have dinner ready by time you get back."

"Dinner isn't for another few hours."

"I know," he said taking her hands, "But, it may take you a while to get out knowing your brother."

She nodded.

_a/n: anna: not a problem. i'd be glad to._


	8. Chapter 8

_**a/n: I do not own the song in this chapter**_

Bradin was in the kitchen fixing Kali her favorite dinner: ham with mashed potatoes and corn with a tad of gravy. He was stirring the gravy and a song came to his mind.

_Yeah...  
My heart was jumpin' for her  
My head was spinnin' in circles  
My tongue was tied  
I tried, but couldn't find the words  
She had them eyes of fire  
The ones you can't put out  
She saw a sucker for lovin'  
And turned my world around_

Kali walked into the apartment and heard Bradin singing from the kitchen. She smiled at the words as she got closer.

Chorus:  
Oh, I just can't let you go  
My mind is not my own  
And I can't eat, can't sleep  
I'm in too deep  
Oh, oh, whoa-oh-oh, I just can't let you go

Whoa, I just can't let you go  
One look in my condition  
I see you in my dreams  
And every night I fight  
To keep my sanity  
She's like a roller coaster  
And I'm afraid of heights  
But still there's nothing to stop me  
From getting off this ride

Bradin realized that Kali arrived and continued to sing. He walked up to her and took her hand as he continued to sing. As he sang, he danced with her and never took his eyes away from hers.

Chorus

So many times I've tried  
To get her out of my life  
But she knows I'm addicted  
To the taste of her lips  
My strength is drifting away  
My body's aching with pain  
I can't hold on  
I can't hold on any longer

Chorus X2

Kali smiled when he finished singing. He was breathing heavily not remembering the last time he sang for her like that. All he could was stare at her as he caught his breath.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

He smiled and took a deep breath before releasing. He stepped closer to her and kissed her deeply. He placed his hands on her lower back and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. He moved his lips down to her chin and continued towards her neck. He pulled away from her neck and just stared into her eyes. He saw her smile.

"I liked the performance," she told him.

"Thank you. I heard the song earlier on the radio and it just screamed to me that it's the way I feel about you. Well, after all we've been through, I mean."

"And, you can't let me go no matter what?"

"Exactly," he said with a smile, "You're too irresistible."

He gave her a quick kiss before letting her go to check on the food. "Are you feeling better?" he heard her ask.

"Well, I feel better about you and me. But, if you're talking about what the guys did, I'm not sure what to feel."

Kali walked up beside him making him turn towards her. He placed his forehead against hers before wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you, Kali. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't ask you out last year."

"I know. I feel the same," she said. "I'm going to go put my things in our room. I'll be back."

He nodded and let her go. He was hoping that she would like what he did.

Kali picked up her bags and walked in to their room. She set them down on the floor before she looked around. She picked on bag up and placed it on the bed to unpack. When she went to put her shirts away in a dresser drawer, she noticed something on top of the dresser. She looked at it to find an envelope with her name on it and a rose beside it on one side and a small box on the other. She took the envelope and opened it out. She took out the piece of paper inside and unfolded it.

"Kali,

I don't know how to thank you for everything you have done for me since we met. I know I've treated you in a way where I don't deserve you. But, something inside of me feels as if you were sent to me for a reason which is why I think we keep going back to each other after a fight. I remember the first day I saw you. You were hanging out with your cousin and you were just so…gorgeous. My heart stopped when I saw you smiling and having a good time. I didn't know if I should talk to you or not. And, that night we talked. Remember? Your cousin was throwing a beach party and you knew no one. I walked up to you and just began a long lasting conversation about anything we could think of.

The day of my championship came. Seeing you there to support me meant something to me. We only knew each other for a week and we were acting like we were best friends. After the incident, all I remember was waking up and seeing you there with my aunt. I heard that she lied just to get you in to see me. She knew how much you cared about me. I saw you today at the beach and you saved me. I don't know where I would be without you.

You were always there for me when I needed you. You were even there when we were in the middle of a fight. You make me feel as if I'm supposed to be here and not let anything bother me even though it does. Knowing that I'll always have you makes everything go away. Each time we fought and sort of ended what we had, I died. Whenever we talked it over and tried to start over, I felt as if I were brought back from the dead. Waking up beside you every day makes me alive.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: I Love You. I love you with all my heart. I can't get over the fact that you have saved me from dying each time death and I came in contact. I can't get over the fact that you and I are to be together for the rest of our lives, which I hope does happen. Being away from you kills me, baby. I don't think I can survive without you.

Love Always,

Bradin Westerly"

Tears ran down Kali's face. She placed the note back on top of the dressed unfolded and picked the box up. She opened it up and found yet another piece of paper. She unfolded that.

"Promise me we will marry when the time is right."

She looked at the box and found a gorgeous 14K ring. Engraved were the words "Together Until The End" on one side of the diamond and "July 22, 2005" on the other side. She covered her mouth as more tears came to her face. She felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned around to find her boyfriend there.

He smiled and wiped her eyes. She fell in to his arms and cried tears of happiness. Bradin wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. A few minutes passed and she pulled away. He smiled and wiped her eyes once again. Then, he took her hand and they went to eat.

Dinner was great. They talked, laughed, and smiled. Kali grabbed some of the plates and walked over to the sink.

"Baby," he said, "Tonight, I do everything. It's the least I can do. Go finish unpacking. I think we should stay up and watch movies all night while laying together and holding each other."

"You know I never stay awake during out movie nights."

"That's okay. Now go."

Bradin slightly pushed her towards their room before lightly smacking her butt. She looked back at him and smiled making him smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Bradin awoke the next morning and heard Kali talking. He peered over to where she lay and saw her talking on the phone. He watched as she hung up and placed her head back down on her pillow. He rolled over so he was facing her and moved her hair out of her face.

"Who calls at seven in the morning?" he asked her.

She opened her eyes to look at him. Bradin could tell she was extremely tired. "Your friend, Jay," she told him, "He wants to talk to you about getting your job back."

He gave her a quick kiss before they both lied back down and drifted off again.

Bradin's Dream

_He sat on his board looking back at the water searching for the perfect wave. He was the last contestant in the competition. He looked back shore and saw her watching him. He smiled knowing he had her to go to if he didn't place at all. He looked back at the water and saw the perfect wave._

_He did tricks as he rode the wave. He could hear the people cheering for him as he nearly finished. Just then, he slipped off of his board and fell in to the water._

Bradin shot up from his bed breathing heavily. He heard the door open and looked up to find Kali coming in drying her hair with a towel.

"Bradin?" she asked noticing how he was breathing. She watched as he lied back down and covered his face. "Baby?"

"I just had a dream about my accident," he told her. He sat up and looked at her. "Do you think I'm dreaming this because I'm ready to surf again?"

"That might be a reason," she told her boyfriend. She sat on the bed beside as she watched him think. He fell back down and turned so he was lying on his stomach with his face in his pillow. She placed her hand on his back making him move his head to look at her.

"Do you work today?" he asked.

"Yeah. My shift starts in an hour. I can cook you breakfast?" she asked. He smiled and nodded. "Okay. I will call you when it is ready. What do you want?"

"Surprise me," he said.

"All right," she said. She stood up and felt him pull her hand making her fall onto the bed. "What?" she asked.

He leaned forward and kissed her gently on her lips. When he pulled away, he looked at her and smiled. "Thank you…for everything."

She smiled back and kissed him. "You're welcome, Brae." She got up and headed to the kitchen. She pulled out the eggs, bread, and bacon and decided to make eggs, bacon, and toast for him. It was simple and his favorite breakfast foods.

As she began to cook the food, her mind wandered back to Bradin's accident. The feeling of keeping from him the secret that everyone has kept from him reentered her mind. She closed her eyes as she thought about what had happened after she saw him go under the water.

_She stood on the beach along with his family watching and waiting for his turn to ride the waves. Everyone knew that he was going to blow everyone out of the water with how fantastic he was at surfing. His turn finally came. The perfect wave came along at the same time. She watched as he stood up onto his board and rode the wave. All of a sudden, the wave took him under the water. Her heart stopped along with everyone else's. As everyone was waiting to see if he could make it to the surface by himself, she ran in and tried to save him._

"Baby?" she heard making her open her eyes. He turned around and saw Bradin standing there. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah," she said softly. She continued to cook his breakfast when she felt him wrap his arms around her.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Do you mean me?" he asked making her look back at him and back to their breakfast. "It is me, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she said softly once again. She turned around and hugged him. "I don't want to lose you, Brae."

"Baby, what are you talking about?" he asked worriedly pulling way from her but keeping his arms around her.

"I'm scared to tell you what happened after you went under the water. I don't know how you will take it."

"When you're ready, you can tell me. You know that I won't force you to tell me anything unless it involved you being raped or hit by anyone."

She nodded. "Hey, look at me," he told her as he moved her chin so her eyes were looking into his, "I'll be fine. I promise you I won't overreact to what it is you have to tell me. I'll listen to everything. I won't leave you. I love you, Kali."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

Kali was standing behind a counter at work separating clothes as her coworker was cashing someone out. Just as she was taking clothes to put them away, their phone rang.

"Kali, it's for you," her coworker, Bridgette, said handing her the phone.

"Hello?" she asked into the phone.

"Kali, it's mom. Landon was taken to the hospital today. We found out that he has leukemia."

Kali's heart dropped. As much as she couldn't stand Landon at some points, he loved her no matter what would happen. He would always hug her when he knew something was wrong with her when she never showed that it was bothering her.

"Um, I'll come by after work," she said before hanging up.

Kali turned away and put the pile of clothes away before walking into the back stock room. She leaned on a shelf as she thought about what she was just told about Landon. She could not believe what had happened.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bridgette asked walking into the stock room to check on her.

"My stepbrother has cancer."

"Landon? Isn't he only 6?" Kali nodded at the thought of how young Landon was. After a few minutes of taking several breaths, Kali walked back out and began to continue her shift.

Around five hours later, Kali was allowed to go home. When she walked out of her store, she saw Bradin standing there with a smile on his face.

"Hello, beautiful," he said before giving her a quick kiss. "How was work?"

"I need to make a stop by the hospital."

"Why? Are you pregnant?"

"No," she said, "Landon is there. He…he has leukemia."

Bradin walked with his girlfriend to the hospital to visit her stepbrother. He could tell that she was affected by the news and would not be herself until the following day. He watched as she hugged her brother making him smile. Landon was so happy that she came after work. He would not stop talking. Everyone forgot what he was talking about because he would talk about the most random things.

What hurt Bradin was that Kali was going through so much pain lately. He could not stand to see her go through this alone and without help. He knew he had to step in at times when she would need someone to be there for her.


	10. Chapter 10

The young couple arrived back to their apartment. Kali went into their room to change out of her work clothes. It has been a very long day for her. Bradin awaited outside the room for Kali to come out so he can hold her and make her feel safe. He knew that he shouldn't say that everything would be fine. Why? He wouldn't know if everything would be fine or not. He saw her come out wearing her favorite black pants and a white tank that went along with the pants. He smiled, stood up, and opened his arms. She walked straight into his arms and hugged him. Feeling him wrap his arms around her made her feel as if everything was just a dream. She closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest.

"Thank you," he heard her say.

"For what, baby?"

"Being there for me today," she said pulling away to look at him, "I don't think I would have stayed as calm as I did if you weren't there."

"It was not a problem, baby," he told her, "You needed someone with you. I could tell. Why not let it be me since you were there for me all those times?"

She smiled and kissed him quickly.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Come on, cutie. Pick something. Tonight is all about you. I have something to give you in a bit."

"Bradin," she whined.

"Baby, stop," he said knowing why she was whining. She hated it when people bought her things for no particular reason. "It's a special occasion tonight. It's a night where everything revolves around you and only you. If something important comes up with your family, then that's the only excuse for stopping it."

She sighed and sat on the couch covering her face. So many emotions were running through her mind and she had no idea what she was feeling at that moment. Not one word emotion could describe what she was feeling. She felt Bradin sit beside her and take her hand into his. She uncovered her eyes and looked at him.

"I don't want to say that everything will be okay. I'm not sure that it will be. All I can say is wait it out like you have been for many years. It will be hard. But, I know you. If you've made it this far, you can keep going."

_Why don't you take your own advice?_ she thought to herself, _You're killing me more my holding back from the one thing that you love_.

She had no idea on what to do with her life anymore. Everything was falling apart. She lowered her head and looked towards the ground and covered her head with her arms as she began to let tears fall from her eyes. She felt Bradin pull her arms off of her head and held her in his arms.


	11. Chapter 11

Bradin awoke the next morning and turned to lie on his side and look at his love. He ran his fingers through her hair as he watched her sleep. He was so hurt by how much pain she was going through lately in her life. He had no idea how to be there for her besides holding her and trying to calm her down if she was upset. He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. He heard her groan and watched her move her head so that she wasn't facing him making him smile.

"Take your time, beautiful,' he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek.

Bradin got up and grabbed a few clothes before heading to the shower. When he finished, he threw his clothes into the hamper before walking back into his room. There, he saw Kali still lying down. He smiled at how adorable she looked to him.

About an hour passed and Bradin hung up the phone just as his girlfriend was walking out of their room. He smiled and got up.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said as she walked up to him.

She kissed him and didn't say a word.

"How are you feeling?' he asked wrapping his arms around her. She shrugged and placed her head against his chest. He could tell that she was not only tired but upset with how she was acting. He tightened his grip on her and held her for a few minutes before pulling away.

"I got another job," he told her knowing that she did not want to talk about her brother.

"Where?"

"It's at this place near Johnny's new restaurant. It's a music store of some sort. Lucas works there."

"You're talking to him?" she asked looking up at him.

"Yes and no. There are times where I give him the cold shoulder because of what he did. I just don't think I can trust him the way I once did before he went and did what he did."

She nodded.

"Kay, talk to me," he told her softly.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said.

"Why do you always do this?" he asked making her look up at him. "Every goddamn time something bad happens to you, you never want to talk about it."

"I need time, Bradin. You should understand that. I don't push you when you are upset and need to talk. Why do you always push me?"

"I love you, baby. I hate seeing you upset."

"I need time right now, babe. I'll come and let you know when I want to talk."

Later that day, Bradin was standing and training at his new job. To him, it was a piece of cake. All he had to do was help the customers find what they were looking for, restock CDs, and cash people out. Could it get any harder?

"Hey," a girl said walking up to him, "You're Bradin Westerly, are you not?"

"I am. What's it to you?" he asked.

"I am only your biggest fan when you were surfing. I went to all of your competitions, unlike that chick you're with now."

"Hey," he said getting a little angry with this girl, "My girlfriend, Kali, works a lot. She's trying her goddamn best to support both of us and keep us out of bankruptcy. Even thought I had a lot of money from surfing, it went towards everything to keep Kali and my family up and running. Don't you dare start about her, I love her and there is nothing you can do about it. So, back off.'

"You're not embarrassed with what she did last year?" the girl asked.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"After a few minutes of you being under the water and no one motioning towards you, she ran in and saved you."

Bradin's face went into shock that's the secret that Kali was keeping from him.

"What kind of girlfriend would keep that from their boyfriend for almost a year?"

"An amazing one," Lucas said walking up to the two, "Kali has been so good to him. She makes him happy. Every time I would see him, he would always be smiling. When I would ask why he was so happy, her name was the first word out of his mouth. She has changed him so much. And I like who he is now compared to who he was before. Now, it is time for you to leave them alone."

"Call me when it doesn't work out," she sad handing Bradin a piece of paper with her number on it.

After his shift, Bradin walked into his apartment to find Kali working on their payments. He walked up and stood behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and watched as she calculated how much they would pay all together.

"How was work?" she asked not looking up at him.

"It was okay. It's boring but it's a job for now. How was your day?"

"I basically did this most of the day. I went to visit Landon for about an hour. He's not doing so well."

"I need to talk with you about something," he said as he sat beside her.

"If it's going to cause me pain, I don't want to hear it."

"I don't know if it will."

"Then, don't bother," she said standing up.

"Kali!' he shouted as she walked away, "why did you not tell me that you saved me?"

She turned around and stared at him in disbelief. He found out. But, from who?

"Why?" he asked walking up to her.

"I didn't want you to feel as if you were…I can't put it into words correctly. If I saved you and you found out, everyone would have been torturing you because you were saved by a girl. I know how you feel about that and I know how guys treat each other when you do know. I wasn't going to have you go through that pain after an accident that nearly killed you."

"Baby, you saved me when no one else did a damn thing. I have no idea how to thank you for doing that."

"You don't have to," she said as she turned away.

As she began to walk away, she felt Bradin grab her hand making her turn around. He walked up to her and continued to hold her hand. She had tears in her eyes. He smiled. "You don't have to hurt, baby."

"How else am I suppose to feel?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Relief that I found out? Happy that I'm happy that you saved me and I survived?" She looked away as more tears came to her eyes and she didn't want him to see. He placed his hand on her cheek and moved he head so that she was facing him. He smiled and kissed her tears away. "You should feel amazing because you are."

"Shut up," she said.

"I'm not lying. If you weren't amazing, I wouldn't be here. If you weren't amazing, Landon would be as scared as I am when I try to go out and surf. Because of you, he knows that he will pull through this."

"What?"

"I called up there on my way home to see how he was since I wasn't going to be able to see him today. I talked to not only your mother but I also talked to him, he told me that you made him feel as if he was here for a reason. I feel the same way. And, that is the reason why I want to marry you."

Tears flowed from her eyes as she heard him say that.

"So, you shouldn't be hurting as much as you are," he told her, "You should be feeling alive because you're making everyone else feel that way."


	12. Chapter 12

Bradin went out for a bit that night to get some things that he and Kali needed. Since Kali has done so much for him within the past twelve months, he decided to take some chores off of her hands. He knew it wasn't adding up to what he owed her. However, he was giving her a break from stress and letting her rest.

As he was walking home with some groceries, he passed the water. He stopped when he was far from it and stared at it. He knew how much Kali wanted him to surf again. Yet, he also knew he wasn't ready. Kali knew that, too.

He walked into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He set the groceries down before he went to look for his girlfriend. He found a note written to him from Kali.

"Bradin::

I had to run by work and pick up my check. Then, I'm going to cash it before coming back. I shouldn't be long.

Love, Kali"

Bradin smiled. He began to put the groceries away when he heard the door open. He stopped, turned around, and saw Kali walking in. He smiled and watched her look up at him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hello gorgeous," he said before kissing her.

"Hello," she said again when they pulled away.

"Do you work tomorrow?" he asked.

"At night," she told him, "My shift starts at 5 and I stay until close. Why?"

He took her hands into his and took a deep breath. "Can we, um, go to the beach tomorrow afternoon before you go to work?"

"You... You wanna… What?"

"Please?" he begged. "I think I'm ready to at least stay in the water. And, I need you there to encourage me to stay in the water."

Kali could not believe what she was hearing. All she could do was nod. She watched him smile and kiss her. "Thank you," he whispered.

In the middle of the night, Bradin awoke after having another nightmare. He woke up quietly so he would not disturb his peaceful girlfriend at his side. He ran his hands through her hair thinking about hours prior to that moment where they made love to each other. His hands landed on her back due to her back facing him. He didn't want to admit to her that he was terrified about the hours that were coming. He didn't want to tell her that he wasn't ready and was only doing this for her. Kali moved, bringing him out of his thoughts, so she was facing him. She was still asleep. He wrapped his arms around her, her head against his chest, and held her close to him.

He stood near the shoreline staring out to the water. At that moment, his mind was debating if what he was about to do was right. However, his heart was telling him to do it. He took a deep breath before feeling a hand slide across his lower back. He looked behind him to find his girlfriend and smiled.

He took her hand and walked in to the water feeling it run over his legs. It felt so refreshing since it was so hot outside. He closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent. Nothing happened. No flashbacks. No pain. Nothing. Bradin felt like… Bradin. He turned towards his girlfriend and smiled making her smile.


	13. Author's Note:: I'm Done

Author's Note::

i'm not writing anymore. i think i might finish this story i'm still debating, delete the new one i started since no1 reviewed it and it's done. i'm sorry but things have been happening that have changed me. writing does not help or make me happy anymore.

i'm sorry. 


	14. Chapter 13

A/n:: finishing this story. I'm not going to leave it hanging

Bradin and Kali sat on the couch making out later that night when she got home from work. Every few seconds, Kali would feel Bradin smile making her smile. Since he went into the water, he has become happier and smiley. Even though it has only been a few hours, she could tell that he was changing back into the Bradin she fell for hard before the accident. Bradin's cell phone began to ring. Kali noticed he was ignoring it.

"Brae, your phone," she said as he continued to kiss her.

"It doesn't matter who it is," he said pulling away. "If it's work, they want me to come in tomorrow. They know a lot about me and what I'm going through. They'll leave a message if they need me."

"At least let me get changed out of my work clothes," she begged.

He smiled, kissed her, and said, "Okay."

Bradin watched as the love of his life got up and walked towards their room to change. He could not believe that his feelings towards her were stronger than ever since he went into the water. The next step was getting back on the surfboard.

"Hey, baby," he yelled as he sat back on the couch.

"Yeah?" he heard.

"Did you feel like going to my aunt's house for dinner tomorrow? I forgot to tell you that she called tonight asking if we both wanted to stop by and have dinner."

"Tomorrow?" she asked as she walked out of their room.

"Yeah," he said nodding, "She said to let her know by tomorrow afternoon so she knows how much food to cook."

"It's no problem. I work in the morning so it should be refreshing to visit your family."

"All right," he said smiling. He watched as she headed into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Do you want anything?" she asked.

"You…here…in my arms," he said making her smile.

She shook her head and walked over to him. She sat on the couch and then was attacked by his arms. He held her close to him telling her that he never wanted to let her go.

"I talked to Landon today," Kali said, "He said he's feeling fine and wants to see us soon. He misses us a lot.'

"We can go before we go to my aunt's," he told her, "Are you feeling better about what is going on with him?"

"Um," she began, "not really. I really do not know how I'm going to handle it if he leaves. I mean come on. He's only seven years old for crying out loud."

"I know, baby. But, try your best to spend as much time with him as possible. I know how hard it may be for you."

She covered her face and turned her head towards him, resting her head on her hands. "I don't want what happened to my father to happen to anyone else I love."

"There's no way to stop it, Kay. You just have to take what life throws at you."

The following night, the young couple headed towards Bradin's aunt's house. When they arrived, Bradin rang the doorbell and pulled Kali close to him for a short hug. Within seconds, the door opened revealing his younger sister.

"Bradin!" she yelled hugging him making him smile.

"Hey, Nik," he said hugging her back. Bradin turned back towards Kali, grabbed her hand, and walked inside. When they arrived inside, Bradin got attacked by everyone at the house. Kali stood back and watched her boyfriend hug the people who have missed him a lot. Feeling as if she were invisible, she began to move away a little bit to get away from the crowd of people. Then, Bradin's aunt walked up to her.

"Hey," Ava said.

Kali smiled. "Hey." The two hugged tightly for a few minutes before Ava pulled away.

"How is he?" Ava asked quietly.

"He stayed in the water yesterday. He didn't surf. He just stood and kind of played in the water."

Ava smiled and hugged Kali again. "Thank you so much for sticking with him for this long."

"I'm glad I am, too," Kali said.

Ava pulled away and headed toward the kitchen as the oven timer went off. She looked in front of her and saw Nikki standing there smiling. Nikki wrapped her arms around her brother's girlfriend tightly.

During dinner, Kali sat beside both Nikki and Ava, and across from Bradin. She would always glance at Bradin to find him smirking at her. She stuck her tongue out at him once making his jaw drop.

"You did not just do that," he said making everyone look at him.

"Oh I did," she said.

"What are you going to do to her?" Nikki asked her brother.

"I'll find something."

That night, Kali sat on the couch in their living room watching television as Bradin was taking a shower. She could not find anything to watch without falling asleep. As she flicked through the channels, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw her friend's, Gail, name on the phone.

"Yeah?" she asked,

"Hey girl," Gail said cheerfully, "Guess what."

"What?"

"I signed up for that beach volleyball tourney in two weeks. I was wondering if you would be a part of my team. We need one more person."

Kali hung up the phone without answering her friend. Volleyball was all Kali had before she met Bradin. Volleyball was her main sport. She gave it up in order to help Bradin out with his problem. She could not go back at this point in her life.

"Are you okay?" she heard making he jump. She peered up and saw Bradin walking out into the living room.

"Gail wants me to be a part of her volleyball team."

"What's stopping you?" he asked sitting beside her.

Kali signed knowing she had to tell him the truth. "I gave volleyball up in order to help you through this problem."

"What?" he asked. "Baby, why?"

"Because you needed me," she said, "I would always be on the beach training and going to work and not have time for you to help you."

"Kali, go play. I know you love the sport. I see the passion you have when you and I play for fun. I'll be fine. I promise."

She leaned over and kissed him.


	15. Chapter 14

Kali walked into her apartment the following day after training for the tournament. She was training all morning with her team and was extremely sore. She had three hours before she had to be at work. Bradin was working until six. She decided to take a cold shower to soothe her body.

She felt the cold water hit her body making her jump. Within several minutes, her body got use to the cold water and was refreshing.

She finished her shower and walked to her room wearing the towel to look for clothes to wear to work. She walked into her room and peered at the bed. There, she found a red rose lying on her pillow. She walked up to the bed, picked the rose up and found a note underneath it reading "Kali". She picked the paper up, unfolded it, and read it.

"To the most beautiful woman in the world:

I wish you the best. I'm sorry I was not up this morning to wish you luck on your training. I wanted to get enough rest for work since we'd have a busy day with that celebrity coming to sign and all that. I promise you that I will attend at least two matches when it is time for you to play.

You're my everything, Kali. I don't know how to thank you for all that you have done for me. I will be waiting up for you tonight. Okay beautiful?

Love always and forever,

Bradin"

He always found a way to make her smile, even when she was in the worst mood she could ever be in. The end of her shift came quickly. She and her coworker walked out together after closing and began to walk home. As Kali was leaving her coworker to walk to her apartment, someone grabbed her arm forcing her to turn around.

"I told you not to stay with him," the mid-twenties guy said with anger.

"Since when do I listen to you?" she asked. "I love him. And, nothing can change that."

"Ha," the man laughed, "You are still the same jokester as before."

"Fuck off, Greg!" she yelled as he gripped her and forced her to walk with him, "Greg!"

Bradin waited up for Kali that night. He would always look at the clock to see how much longer until she was home and he could hold her and tell her how much he missed her. It has been about an hour since her shift ended and she still wasn't home. He called her phone several times; it rang and went straight to her voicemail after five rings. Each time he called, it would always do that. Within another half an hour, Kali walked through the front door.

"Baby!" Bradin yelled running up to her. He went to hug her when she backed off. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up at him and rolled up her sleeves revealing bruises. "Baby," he said, "who did this?"

When she did not speak, he knew that he had to take her in to the hospital. "Kali, let's go get you checked out," he said softly, "I want to make sure that you will be okay."

She looked up at him to find him looking at her with concern. She nodded, watched him grab his keys, and they walked to the car. Bradin drove to the hospital not saying a word to Kali but thinking of who could have done this to her. No, he was not mad at her. He was extremely worried. They arrived at the hospital and Bradin walked up to the desk as Kali took a seat. When he finished with the secretary, he turned, walked up to, and sat next to his girlfriend.

"Do you want to talk about it yet?" he asked.

She gulped with nervousness running through her veins. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Your friend, Greg," was all she could say.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "He did this to you?"

She nodded and turned away from him. "He found me after my shift. I was walking with Gabby. When we went our separate ways, he grabbed my arms and forced me into an alley. There, he punched me in the stomach and asked why I was still with you when his younger sister would be so much better for you."

"Fuck no," he said to her quietly, "Kali, don't listen to him."

"That's not why I'm upset," she said wiping her tears away. She kept looking at her folded hands as she continued to talk. "What I'm upset about is that you knew Greg hated me. Why the hell did you not tell me?"

"That's why he and I don't talk anymore, baby. When I found out he hated you, I had to end it. You mean more to me than anyone. Anyone who hated you, I stopped talking to them. Now that I know who did this to you, we can report him."

"Why?" she asked, "So others can treat me like shit again for putting the well known guy of Playa Linda in jail? No one is going to listen to me after all the shit I've been through."

"I believe you, Kali."

Before Kali could respond, a doctor walked up to them. "Kali, can you follow me?" she asked. Kali stood up and walked away, following the doctor.

Bradin sat in the waiting room crying not believing what has happened to his girlfriend. He was hoping that nothing would go wrong that night because he had a surprise for Kali when she got home. The past year has been a horrid year for both he and Kali. People were tying to break them up. People tried to hurt Kali so she would leave Bradin. People have been approaching Bradin telling him things about Kali that would have made him angry and end his relationship with her if he did not already know about it. He could not handle it any longer. He needed to ask Kali that night so he knew that no one would try to end it.

Bradin could not live without Kali. She was there for him through thick and thin. She stayed up with him late at night if he was bothered with something deeply. She made him smile. She made him laugh. She made him feel as if he survived the accident because he found the one to live for and with for the rest of his life.


	16. Chapter 15

The two weeks have passed. Kali was not getting ready to play in her first match. She was one of the best players on her team. She stood away from the court as another match was going on. Her teammate, Gail, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll do great."

Kali smiled and rubbed her hitting arm. Even though she was the shortest player on the team, she could jump high and hit hard. Even though she was attacked and threatened by Greg weeks ago, she was still in a lot of pain from that night. Within minutes, Kali's team was ready to go play. They began to warm up as the referees talked to the captains.

"Kali!" Gail yelled as Kali hit the ball to another teammate. Kali looked over at Gail to find her pointing in the stands. There, Bradin, his family, and her family were sitting together waiting for the match to start. She smiled when she saw Landon jumping up and down. Within the past two weeks, Landon was able to go home. However, there were some suggestions that her mother and step-father had to follow to make sure that Landon did not get worse.

Her eyes wandered over her "cheering crowd" over the Bradin. He smiled and waved to her before blowing her a kiss. She smiled and went back to warm up. Within the past few weeks, Bradin and Kali have not had much time to spend with each other. She was training and working while he was working long shifts at the store. However, he made time for her during her tournament so they could spend time with each other.

The match began and ended up being the best match played in many years. The crowd cheered after every play. Every play was a good play. The game was close with Kali's team winning by two. Gail ran up to Kali and hugged her along with the rest of their team congratulating each other. They decided to meet up again in another hour for another match.

Landon ran up to Kali and jumped into her arms. She smiled and held him tightly. Then, he pulled away and smiled at her. As Kali watched Landon run up to this father, something cold went down her back making her jump and screech. She finally got it out and found an ice cube. She turned around to find Bradin grinning. She threw the ice cube at him making him laugh.

"You're mean," she said.

"I love you," he said.

"Sure you do," she told him.

He gasped and placed his hand on his chest. "Are you questioning my love for you?" he asked with disbelief even though he knew she was joking.

"And what if I am?" she asked crossing her arms in front of her. He grinned, ran up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up, and spun her around.

"You played great," he said as he placed her down.

She smiled and said, "Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss.

Bradin smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He led her to the tent where they were selling refreshments. Bradin bought her some water since she wasn't able to eat anything else they had while she played all day. The two sat in the stands watching another match. All Bradin could think about was how happy he was that he and Kali both went back to something that they loved. He also was happy due to the fact that she was able to see him in between matches.

"Hey baby?" he asked making her look at him, "Do you think we can go out for dinner tonight with our families?"

"Yeah," she said nodding making him smile, "What?"

"I just missed you a lot. I forgot how happy I get when you're around. I'm a totally different person when I'm away from you."

"How so?" she asked.

"He rarely smiles unless he starts thinking of you," Jay said walking up to the young couple, "I've never seen this boy as happy as you make him."

Kali smiled as she felt Bradin kiss her cheek. Her next match came and she had to go warm up with her team. Bradin watched his love warm up and get pumped up for the game. He watched as Kali and Gail both headed to a radio that Gail had. There, the two girls started randomly dancing making him smile.

Night arrived quickly and Kali stood in the bathroom drying herself off from her shower. Her team won all three matches that day and was set to play early the following morning. Bradin left and told Kali that her family was picking her up. To Kali, Bradin was acting very strange and she had no idea why. The dinner for both of their families was going to be on a boat that sailed as the sunset.

Bradin waited for the arrival of his girlfriend and her family. He was hoping that nothing would go wrong that night. He wanted it to be perfect for Kali. He saw her mother's car pull into the parking lot making him smile. He watched his girlfriend get out of the car. She wore a silky black skirt that ended just above her thighs with a chain belt, a semi-silky pink sleeveless shirt that had a chair necklace attached to match the belt, black heels, and make up to match her outfit.

"You…look…wow," he said as he watched her walk up to him. He took her hands into his as she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss.

"Not looking too bad yourself, Mr. Bradin Westerly," Kali said looking at his tuxedo.

He smiled and kissed her, but longer than she kissed him. When he pulled away, all he could do was stare into her amazing hazel eyes with his gorgeous green eyes. Both of them smiled at each other.

"You're making me sick!" Jay screamed walking up to them with Bradin's family. The two smiled more but continued to stare at each other.

"I'm hungry," Landon whined.

Both families walk on board to the boat leaving the young couple behind. Bradin's smile grew when he was alone with Kali.

"Shouldn't we go in, too?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "But, I want to know how you did in your final games since I left to take care of tonight."

"We won them all. I have to be back at the beach around nine for a match at ten."

He smiled and kissed her again. "My baby is amazing," he said, "at everything she does."

"Shh," she said, "Not everyone is supposed to know."

He smiled and led her onto the boat. He led her to a room where many other people were besides their families. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A band was warming up on the stage in the dining area. The young couple walked up to their families, where Bradin pulled out Kali's chair for her. She smiled and sat down. Bradin sat beside her. He took her hand into his as they waited for their drinks to arrive.

In between dinner and dessert, Bradin asked to be excused and disappeared. Both families continued to engage in conversation until they heard music stop and looked towards the stage.

"Good evening everyone," Bradin said into a microphone, "I hope you all are doing well. Tonight is a very special and soon to be emotional night. If you all want, watch this video. As much as it hurts to show it, I need to in order to do what I am tonight."

Bradin walked off stage, the lights dimmed, a screen lowered, and a film began. Kali watched the film and recognized it as Bradin's accident. She turned away and covered her face as the thought came to her head. She closed her eyes and let tears fall as she listen to the horrid screams of people after Bradin was sucked under the wave.

"This happened just over a year ago. I'm still not over the accident. I just became comfortable to staying in the water and swimming," he said into the microphone as the clip ended, "As you all noticed, no one made a run to save me. No one but one person."

He rewound the clip and stopped to where Kali was pulling him out of the water.

"This lady has changed my life," he continued, "We were only friends for a few days before the accident happened. She barely knew me and saved me from drowning when no one else did. I guess it shows how much she cared. I awoke in the hospital to find her there. That's when I realized that she truly did care for me.

"Like I said, it's been a little over a year since this happened. She and I are together. We are living together, supporting each other, and doing everything we love. We fight, yes. But, what couple doesn't fight? I just recently found out that she saved me. When I found out that she saved me when no one else did, it hit me. I could not live without her."

Kali wiped her eyes and noticed several other people crying. She looked up at Bradin on the stage and could see him trying not to cry.

"Kali, you are so beautiful," he said as he walked off the stage, "You have supported me more than anyone in my life. You make me smile every day. I love waking up at your side. I love it when we make time for each other when we both get busy with work and everything else we love. It has helped our love blossom. I just wish that I could give you something that can add up to all the times where you've saved me."

At this moment, Bradin was standing in front of Kali. "You mean everything to me. I don't know where I would be without you."

Kali covered her mouth with her hands as he got down on one knee and opened a ring box towards her. "Will you marry me?"

Tears streamed down Kali's face as she heard those words. She covered her face us and tried to calm down before looking at him. She uncovered her eyes and nodded making him smile. He placed the ring on her left ring finger and took her into his arms. Roars of applause sounded behind them and they could hear people some people start to stand. Bradin let several tears of happiness fall from his eyes knowing that nothing could ever go wrong after that moment.

a/n: no it is NOT over


	17. Chapter 16

Bradin awoke the following morning and peered down to see the love of his life. He smiled and thought back to many hours prior to that moment. Within seconds, the alarm went off. He could hear Kali groan. He reached over and shut the alarm off before turning back towards her.

"Baby," he whispered moving her hair out of her face, "wake up."

She groaned again. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Bradin smiled at how tired yet beautiful she looked. He leaned over and kissed her.

"Ready for today?" he asked.

"No," she said in a tired voice, "I would be if you didn't keep me up late."

He smiled and said, "Sorry." He began to rub her back to help her wake up. "What's your match schedule today?" he asked.

"Match at ten," she began, "If we win, we play at noon. If we lose, we play right after the first match. If we win either, we go to finals at two."

"My love is a star volleyball player," he said with a smile.

"No," she said picking her head up, "Your love is all mine."

He laughed and kissed her. "I love you," he said when he pulled away.

"I love you, too." She got out of bed, grabbed her uniform, and headed to the bathroom.

Around eight thirty, Bradin and Kali headed towards the beach so Kali could get ready for her match. He carried her bag and kept an arm around her, holding her close to him.

"Bradin! Kali!" they heard. They both looked towards the tournament and found Lucas running up to them. "Congrats you two!" he yelled.

"Who told you?" Bradin asked.

Lucas held up a newspaper article. What Bradin did was so special that someone wrote into the paper about it. It showed Kali crying as Bradin knelt on one knee and the two holding each other after she said yes. Kali could feel tears coming to her eyes thinking about the previous night.

"Are you okay?" she heard Lucas ask. She looked at him and nodded. She felt Bradin pull her close to him and held her in his arms. "Where did you get the tape from?" Lucas asked Bradin.

"My aunt," he responded, "I told her that I wanted to propose to Kali and wanted to do something that was special. My aunt gave me the videotape and told me it was of my accident. It happened from beginning to end, when Kali dropped me in the sand. My aunt helped me plan it and it worked. Kali is crying now which means it meant a lot."

"Kali!" Gail yelled as she ran up to her. Gail and Kali hugged. "I am so happy for you!" Gail shouted. Gail turned to Bradin after pulling away from Kali. "I have to steal her. It's time to warm up."

Bradin nodded. He watched Kali get dragged away by Gail. He smiled when he realized that Kali left without her bag. She came running back after Gail let her go.

"I'm sorry," she said. He smiled again and kissed her. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked making him nod. "Can you hold on to this so I don't lose it or so no one steals it?" she asked showing him the ring he gave her.

"No problem," he said. She took the ring off and handed it to him. He took her hand and pulled her body into his. He kissed her deeply before letting her go.

"When's the big day?" Lucas asked.

"We're not sure yet," Bradin told his friend, "There's a lot going on with her now. But, we both want it before Landon goes…if he goes."

"I'm glad that everything is working out for the both of you. You two seem…extremely happy."

Lucas decided to join Bradin and watch the rest of the tournament. They two friends talked about many things as they waited for Kali's match to start. Throughout the game, Kali's team would make fabulous plays causing the crowd to roar in cheers. In the middle of the match, Kali's family came and sat with Bradin.

"How is she doing?" her step-father asked.

"Amazing," he said just as she made another great play, "Yeah, Kali! That's my girl!"

"You have it bad," Lucas laughed.

The end of the match came and Kali's team won by a mile. Landon ran out of the stands and up to Kali. He jumped into her arms, catching her off guard and made her fall into the sand. Bradin laughed and helped Kali up.

"We go on to the championship," she told her family and Bradin, "We play at two."

Bradin bit his bottom lip as something entered his mind. "Baby, I have go for a little bit. I promise I'll be back before your match."

"No problem," she said.

He took her ring out of his pocket ad placed it back on her finger. He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her deeply.

"A girl has to breathe, Brae," she said pulling away after a few seconds.

He smiled and kissed her softly. "I'll be back," he said softly. She nodded. He turned away and saw Lucas leaving. "Lucas!" he yelled running up to him.

It was now two in the afternoon and time for the championship game. Both teams were undefeated. The best out of three would win the tournament. In the first match, Kali's team dominated. In the second match, they lost. It was all tied at 1 win 1 loss each team. Halfway through the third match, the score was close but Kali's team was trailing by two. Gail shanked a pass towards the audience which caused Kali to run towards the audience to try to bring the ball back into play. People moved out of her way which helped her reach the ball and succeeded at bringing it back.

The end of the game approached and Kali's team was up by one. They needed just one point in order to win. When a hitter from the other team jumped and slammed their hand on the ball, it headed towards Kali's direction. Noticing the ball was going short, Kali dove and saved the ball which made Gail able to get it up and over to score the final point for their team with the help of Nancy, their teammate. The crowd roared with cheers. Gail and Nancy hugged before turning towards Kali to find her in the sand holding her right arm.

"Kali!" they yelled.

Bradin was cheering along with his girl's family when he saw Kali lying in the sand, holding her arm, and crying and ran to her side. When he knelt down, he noticed her shoulder got dislocated. He took her hand and felt her start to shake.

"Baby, it's okay," he told her as Nancy brought over help, "Calm down."

Bradin moved out of the way for the trainer to come check on Kali. He watched as the trainer popped Kali's shoulder back into place with her screaming with pain as this happened. Gail was sitting near Kali's head moving the hair that fell out of Kali's pony tail away from her face. The trainer helped Kali sit up so he could place a sling on her arm until she went to get it checked by a doctor.

The award ceremony began. Kali received her trophy along with her team. When the ceremony ended, Kali and the team took pictures before being able to go home.

"Congrats," her family said as they hugged her.

Bradin stood by waiting with Kali's bag knowing she was in a lot of pain and just wanted to go home. Kali looked over at him and half smiled.

"You did great," he said wiping her eyes. She nodded and felt like they lost the tournament. "Do you want to get your shoulder checked out now?"

She nodded, said farewell to her family, and started her journey to the hospital with Bradin. On the way, Bradin peered down at Kali. He stopped her from walking making her look up at him.

"I surfed today," he said.


	18. Chapter 17

"Y…You what?" she asked.

"When I left earlier," he began, "Lucas and I headed to the beach. There, I watched them all surf. So, I ran back to my aunt's house real quick, got my surfing gear and I was out riding the waves."

He watched as she gave him a look he could not identify. He did not know whether she was upset or happy. "You tell me this when I can't jump and hug you tightly?" she asked making him smile. She wrapped her unwounded arm around him and hugged him as tight as she could.

"What made you?" she asked as they walked to the hospital.

"You," he said, "This morning after your match before I left, I saw this look in your eye. You were happy to be playing volleyball again. After everything you went through, nothing stopped you from playing, except me. Realizing that, I figured why not give it a shot? If I crashed again, oh well. I'll get back up and continue."

"But," she began, "did you do it for you?"

"I did it for us," he told her.

Later that night, Bradin made dinner since Kali had to take things slow until her shoulder was healed enough. Her shoulder was not broken. It was just bruised on the inside. Bradin went into the freezer and pulled out an ice pack. He wrapped it in a towel and placed it over Kali's shoulder. She smiled up at him and kissed him quickly.

"Everyone wants to know when the wedding is," he told her, "Do you have any idea on how long you want to wait?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "A few months maybe?"

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah," she responded, "I'm just in a lot of pain."

Bradin kissed her softly and moved her hair behind her ear. "Everything will be fine," he whispered, "I promise."

"Bradin!" they heard as someone pounded on their door, "Bradin open up! It's Lucas!" Bradin got up and ran to the door. He opened it and let Lucas in. "Turn on channel four," Lucas said without breath.

Bradin turned towards the television and changed the channel to channel four, like Lucas said. They were showing what happened prior that day on the beach.

"Last year's surfing man, Bradin Westerly, finally hit the waves today. As most of you know, last year, he was involved in a horrific surfing accident during the state's biggest surfing competition. Will he continue to surf and go on to become a professional or will he stay around and surf for fun?"

Bradin shut the television off, sat on the couch, and ran his hands through his hair.

"What are you going to do?" Lucas asked.

"I just got back out there," Bradin said, "Going professional is far from my mind. Plus, I need to talk everything over with Kali."

"Why?" Lucas asked, "It's your decision!"

"Get out!" Bradin yelled, "I don't need your help with this!"

"Go ahead and let her ruin your life!" Lucas yelled before walking out in anger. Bradin slammed the door behind his friend and then punched the door. Bradin turned around to find Kali leaning on a wall near their room.

"Go for it," she said.

"Baby, I don't know," he said.

"You love surfing, Brae," she said softly, "I know you have only gone out there once. However, you need this."

"I also need you. I want to marry you first."

"I may not be there a lot. But, I will wait. Even if it takes another year, I'll be here waiting."

He walked up to her and kissed her hard on the lips.


	19. Chapter 18

Weeks have passed since Bradin and Kali's talk about him and surfing. Bradin did go out and surf. He did fantastic every time he hit the water. Kali continued to practice with the volleyball team. Each of them entered competitions that happened almost at the same exact time. They were not able to spend time together like they use to.

Bradin came home one night and found Kali lying on the couch asleep. He smiled and knelt in front of her.

"Baby," he whispered softly, "wake up."

She groaned and hit him with a pillow making him smile. He picked her up and carried her to their bed where he lied her down and lied next to her. He peered down and watched her sleep in his arms. He missed the nights where they would stay up, talk, and kiss. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about how much he was going to hurt her.

Bradin woke in the morning and found himself alone. He looked around and found clues that Kali was still there. He got up and quickly ran out of the room. He ended up in the kitchen where he found Kali covering her face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"You know," she said uncovering her face, "I really thought you meant it this time. I thought that you loved me."

"I do," he said.

"Bullshit!" she yelled throwing the newspaper at him. He grabbed the paper and found a picture of him and some girl on the beach partying as a 'promotion' for surfing. In the picture, he and the girl were hanging all over each other. And, no. this is not what he was thinking of the previous night.

"Baby," he began before she cut him off.

"Don't you baby me," she said, "I gave you everything that you wanted! I was there for you through all of those fucking hard times you were going through! I left many things when you had something going wrong in your life! How the fuck could you do this?!"

"I… I don't know," he said softly.

She walked into their room. He could hear her going around trying to figure out where her suitcase was. He walked up and stood in the doorway. He wanted to stop her. However, something was stopping him. She finished within half an hour. A knock sounded upon their door. Bradin answered the door to find Gail standing there.

"Is she ready?" Gail asked him.

He stood aside and let her in. Gail walked into the room where Kali was and carried a bag out for her friend. Kali came out of the room and handed Bradin the ring he gave her a few weeks ago.

"Keep it," he told her.

She threw the ring at him and walked out.


	20. Chapter 19

"Kali, calm down," Gail said as she held her friend, "He didn't run after you. He isn't worth your tears."

"I don't see why all this shit is happening to me," Kali cried, "I don't know why I deserve all of this."

"You don't, girl," Gail said, "Since I've known you, you have to be the person in the world who does not deserve anything bad to happen to her. You care about people; you make them feel good about their self, smile, and laugh so hard they cry."

"Bad things happen to good people," their friend, Sydney, said walking into the room, "But, they shouldn't, especially what you have done for people, Kali."

"Can this day get any worse?" Kali asked. Just as she took a deep breath, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the number: Her mother. "And, apparently it can. Hey mom…no I'm not…what...a.a.are you sure...no…NO!"

Kali dropped her phone and fell off the couch onto her knees.

"Kali, what's wrong?" Sydney asked, "Kali?!"

"Why did he take him, too?" Kali sobbed, "He was only seven years old."

Bradin walked into the funeral home with his family. When he heard that Landon died, his heart fell to pieces. He knew Kali was crushed. He looked around the room and found Kali being held by Sydney as Gail was holding Kali's hand. It tore him up to see the love of his life acting like this.

"Bradin?" he heard. He moved his head to look to his side and found Kali's mother standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pay my respects. I'm sorry," he said.

She hugged him tightly for several second before she motioned for him to go talk to Kali. "You know she won't even look at me," he told her. He looked over at Kali to find her looking at him with tears down his face. He wanted to go run and hold her. However, he didn't want her to leave. He watched as Gail stood up and walked over to him.

"We need to talk," she said.

Gail and Bradin stood outside as they talked. "You have the nerve to show up here," she said.

"I know how much I hurt Kali! And yes I feel like I should die! But I can't change what I did no matter how shitty I feel! Kali is my life! I would do anything to get her back! I know she's pissed at me. But, I had to come and show that Landon dying meant something. She doesn't have to talk to me. She doesn't have to do anything to me."

Bradin felt tears in his eyes and turned away. "What were you going to tell her before she left?" Bradin turned around and gave Gail a confused look. "She told Sydney and me that when you came home that one night, she could tell that something was up with you."

He sighed. "I was offered to surf in a competition on Australia. It was taking place on the same day as the day of our wedding."

"So, now you're going to surf, huh?"

"No," he said, "I quit after I lost Kali." With that, Bradin turned and left the funeral home.


	21. Final

A few days have passed since Landon's funeral. Bradin paid his respects at the funeral whether Kali wanted him there or not. He would always catch himself staring at her wanting to go up and hold her as she sobbed. Once the service was over, she disappeared. It was now Saturday and Bradin knew Kali would be at work. He needed to talk to her about everything whether she wanted it or not.

He showed up at Kali's job site and looked through the window to find her stocking the clothing in her store. He took a deep breath and walked in. he walked up to her just as she finished putting out a rolling cart load of clothing. She turned and ran in to him.

"Hi," he said softly. She gave a weak smile and began to walk back to the stock room with the rolling cart. "Kali, stop," he said grabbing her arm.

She whipped around pulling her arm away. "Don't you fucking touch me," she said through her teeth.

Bradin was taken back by how he was talked to by her. She would never act like that towards anyone unless they hurt her deeply. He watched as she walked to the back and disappeared.

He walked outside the store and saw Kali holding something in her mouth trying to cover it with her hand. He walked up to her as he saw a flame light up what was in her mouth.

"What do you think you're doing!" he yelled grabbing the cigarette out of her mouth and throwing it on the ground.

"Why do you care?" she asked as she went to walk back into work.

"I'm not done with you," he said grabbing her arm.

"Well I'm through with you!" she shouted, "I'm done."

"Doing drugs will not help you," he said calmly.

"Then you don't know me," she said as a tear escaped her eye, "You don't know my past. You don't know how I handle things."

"Doing drugs?" he asked, "You're killing yourself!"

"So what?" she yelled, "It's better off that way!"

He grabbed her and pulled her close before smashing his lips against hers hard. Kali pushed him away and walked back into work. _Maybe it is over_, Bradin thought to himself.

Kali arrived at Gail's after her shift. She unlocked the door and walked in knowing Gail was sleeping. When she shut the door behind her and turned around, she found her step father sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We need to talk," he said.

"About what?" she asked. "I have nothing to say to you."

"You love him," he said as she threw her purse by her shoes, "Why are you being a bitch on taking him back?"

"I'm not going to get hurt again! He hurt me too many times! I can't take anymore pain."

"I went through the same thing before I met your mother," he told her, "You're mother changed me for the good."

"Don't compare me to you," she said through her teeth, "We are nothing alike."

"No?" he asked. "You lost a father. I lost a child. We gained what we lost through this marriage."

"You're wasting your time, Jim!" she yelled tears down her face. She turned to walk into the bathroom when she ran in to someone. She looked up to find Bradin standing there. "What the hell is going on?"

"I saw the incident outside of your job site," Jim began, "You're scared of getting hurt. That is the only reason why you won't go back to him. You've gone through pain your entire life. You lost your father. You lost your younger sibling. You lost your younger step-brother. You moved here when your mother and I married. You were abused by an ex-boyfriend. You were treated in a way that you didn't deserve it."

Kali looked away not wanting to believe what she was hearing. She felt Bradin take her hand and hold it tightly.

"You lost Bradin," Jim finally said making her look up at him, "You two love each other more than anything."

Kali went to walk away when Bradin kept a hold of her hand making her stop.

"You both have a fear of two things. Kali: you have a fear of going through pain. Newsflash Kali: everyone is scared of pain. You cannot escape from it. Bradin: you are scared of surfing because of your accident."

Bradin looked over at Jim as he began talking about him.

"And for the both of you," he said, "you both have a fear of losing each other. I have never seen love as strong as it is between you, too. You have to overcome it."

Jim got up and handed Bradin the engagement he once gave Kali. "I am going to stand outside that door. Neither of you are leaving until you settle this."

Bradin and Kali were now alone in the apartment. They sat in silence not knowing what to say to the other.

Bradin spoke up. "You do drugs," he told her, "Why?"

"I don't do drugs," she said, "When I've lost something that meant everything to me, I smoke. There's a difference."

"It won't help you," he said, "I come from experience. It will put you in more pain, Kali. Please, stop it."

"How else am I supposed to handle this shit?" she said trying not to yell as she sat on the couch, "I can't handle pain any other way."

Bradin sat beside her and took her hands into his making her look up at him. "Talk it over with someone and move on, no matter how long it will take. Look at me. I got into that accident last year and it took me this long to overcome my fear of surfing. Why? I was too blind to see how much I loved it. When I lost you, I quit. Surfing reminds me of you. You've been there for me every step of the way. I can't go on without you."

Kali sat in silence listening to Bradin. Bradin placed a hand on her cheek and turned her heads towards him.

"I cannot remember a time this past year where you ever ditched me when I needed you. You have changed my life. You went through pain and did not show how much it was bothering you, well, you tried. I don't see why this is so different."

"Think back," she said, "How many times were you there for me before Landon left?" Bradin's mind wandered back and he realized that he was never there for Kali when she needed him. Everything was always about him. "I thought so," she said.

"Let's continue to be together and I'll improve. We don't have to become engaged right away. I can wait for that."

"You also cheated on me," she said.

"I was drunk," he said, "I don't know what I was doing."

"You knew you were going to a party as a "promotion" for surfing. Did you not?" she asked making him nod. "That drew the line, Bradin," she said, "You cheated on me with the girl who tried to tear us apart once before. It's over."

"But I love you," he told her, "I love you more than anything in this world. If I had to choose between surfing and you, I would go with you. That's why I gave it up so I could try to work this out with you."

"It's over!" she shouted.

Bradin lowered his head and bit his lower lip to stop it from quivering. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"What?"

"Can you tell me what you feel after I do this?" he asked.

Kali watched him lean in and kiss her. Her hands stay behind her back as she made a fist as if she were tying not to feel anything, which she was failing at. When Bradin pulled away, he opened his eyes and found Kali crying. He smiled knowing that she did feel something. He leaned back in and kissed her deeply.

"I can't," she said pulling away.

"You can't," he began, "But, you want to."

She knew he was right. She looked up at him when she felt his hand touch her cheek. "Ah hell with it," she said. She leaned up and smashed her lips against his knowing that she was feeling something strong. Bradin wrapped his arms around her tightly as he kissed her back. Kali felt something wet drop on her face. She pulled away and found Bradin crying.

"I finally have you," he said, "My feelings for you are true. I...I can't…I, Kali I hate it when you make me speechless."

"I am good at it. Aren't I?" she asked.

"Indeed you are," he said before kissing her softly. "Are you moving again?"

"If I am offered I will," she said.

"Kali Cummings," Bradin began, "The love of my life, will you move in with me…again?"

She laughed and nodded. Bradin pulled her close to him and held on to her tightly never letting her get away again.

The young couple overcame their fears. They learned that you can't keep running from something you want no matter how hard you try. You can't escape situations in your life. You have to learn to deal with them whether the situations are good and bad. Just remember that you can't be running scared forever.

_T_he _E_nd


	22. ReminderAuthor's Note

hey. i'm glad you all liked this story as well as the others. this is jut a reminder that i am not going to be writing anymore for quite some time. i have a lot going on and writing does not help me like it use to. if you guys are upset i understand. however, i need to do this for me. i will be on to read/review the stories you all are writing i promise you that. but dont expect anything writing wise by me.

thank you all.

Kaitlin


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